SBC Executive Committee president candidate withdraws from search process
An unnamed candidate for president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has withdrawn from the selection process to fill the leadership position that has been vacant since 2021.
Neal Hughes, chairman of the presidential search team for SBC EC, said in a statement that the candidate withdrew from consideration before a planned vote in February.
Hughes said the candidate informed the search team on Monday and reported SBC's official news service, Baptist Press, noting the decision came after "much prayer, fasting, and a desire to be in the center of God's will."
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Despite the setback, Hughes encouraged executive committee members to "press on, trust in Jesus, and approach each day with the joy of the Lord."
The next steps in the process of selecting a new president and chief executive officer will be discussed at the Executive Committee's next meeting scheduled for Feb. 19.
SBC Executive Committee interim president and CEO Jonathan Howe commended the search team "for their diligent work seeking the next SBC Executive Committee president and CEO."
"This team has exemplified grace under pressure as they face their difficult task in the light of the current challenges across the Convention," Howe said in a statement given to BP.
The Executive Committee comprises 86 representatives and works on behalf of the convention between annual sessions, doing things like reviewing financial statements, distributing funds for SBC ministries and serving as the trust agency for all convention properties.
The executive committee has been without a leader since October 2021, when Pastor Ronnie Floyd resigned over the committee's decision to waive attorney-client privilege as part of an investigation into how SBC leadership has handled abuse allegations.
Following Floyd's resignation, the executive committee appointed Willie McLaurin, an Executive Committee vice president, as interim president while the body searched for a new leader.
In May, committee members voted 31-50 against appointing Texas Pastor Jared Wellman, an SBC Executive Committee member who had been the top candidate, after a 14-month recruitment process.
Wellman faced objections over some of his work as part of the search committee, while others wanted a person of color for the leadership position instead.
In August, McLaurin resigned as interim president and stepped away from consideration to be the new leader when it was revealed that he had lied about his academic credentials.
Howe, an executive committee employee since 2019 who had served as vice president for communications, was appointed to fill the interim president post after McLaurin departed.
Earlier this month, the Executive Committee announced they would vote on a presidential candidate in February, having selected a potential new leader among 30 individuals.
"In doing due diligence, we gathered references from over 60 people from every walk of SBC life, including a full review of primary, secondary, and tertiary references," Hughes stated.
"In accordance with the Executive Committee's newly adopted hiring guidelines, we completed an extensive list of checks and tests. The search team evaluated the person during numerous meetings, reviewing his vision and having our questions answered."
